From zero to a live app. In six small steps.

Your checklist

1. 01 Open your terminal 2 min A text window. Nothing scary.

   The terminal is a window where you type short commands. You will only run one command here. Pick your system below for the right shortcut.

   Mac Windows Linux

   Press ⌘ Space, type Terminal, and press Enter. A window opens with a blinking cursor.

   Press Win X and choose Terminal (or search for "PowerShell" in the Start menu). A window opens with a blinking cursor.

   Press Ctrl Alt T, or find Terminal in your app menu. A window opens with a blinking cursor.

   Check as you go

   I opened the Terminal app I see a blinking cursor, ready for input

   Stuck? Common fixes

   My terminal looks different from the screenshot.That is fine. Any terminal app works. The words it shows are less important than it being open.

   I cannot find Terminal.Search your system using the magnifying glass or search bar. Try "terminal", "powershell", or "console".

   Done, next step Checks everything and opens the next step.
2. 02 Install Mistflow 3 min One command. It connects to your AI editor automatically.

   Paste this command into your terminal and press Enter. Mistflow installs itself and connects to whichever AI editor you have. No config, no signup yet.

   Terminal

   macOS / Linux Windows

   Copy

   $curl -fsSL https://mistflow.ai/install.sh | sh

   What you should see

   # Auto-detects your AI editor Detected Claude Code Mistflow installed and connected Ready to build

   Check as you go

   I pasted the command and pressed Enter I saw "Ready to build" (or similar success line)

   Stuck? Common fixes

   It asked for my password.Type it. Nothing will appear as you type. Press Enter when done.

   I do not have an AI editor yet.Grab Claude Code or Cursor. Both have free tiers.

   Done, next step
3. 03 Describe your app 2 min Plain English. One or two sentences.

   Open your AI editor (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, VS Code with Copilot, or any MCP-compatible editor). Type what you want to build. Start with "use mistflow" so it picks up the tool.

   Example prompt Copy

   Use mistflow to build me a habit tracker with streaks and a daily dashboard.

   Not sure what to build? Try any of these as a first idea:

   Personal

   Habit tracker Reading log Expense tracker

   Work

   Team standup Simple CRM Meeting notes

   Public

   Booking page Link-in-bio Invoice tool

   Check as you go

   I opened my AI editor I sent a prompt that starts with "use mistflow"

   Stuck? Common fixes

   Mistflow did not respond.Make sure your prompt starts with "use mistflow". Many editors ignore MCP tools unless you name them.

   It asked me to log in.That is step one of the first-ever build. Follow the login link it prints; it opens a browser window.

   Done, next step
4. 04 Review the plan 2 min Mistflow asks what matters, shows you a plan.

   Mistflow will ask five to ten short questions ("who uses this?", "what are the core actions?"). Answer them in plain English. You will get a plan card like this one. Review it, edit anything, then approve.

   habitstreak · plan ready to build

   Data

   Habit Entry Streak

   Pages

   Dashboard Habit detail History

   Auth

   Email Google

   Scope

   5 build steps ~12 files

   You are in control. Say things like "drop the Google login" or "add a streak calendar". The plan updates. Say approve when it looks right.

   Check as you go

   I answered Mistflow's questions I saw a plan card with data models and pages I approved the plan (or edited, then approved)

   Stuck? Common fixes

   The questions feel technical.Answer in plain English. "Just me for now" is a valid answer to "who uses this?". Mistflow translates.

   The plan has a feature I did not ask for.Say so. "Remove X" or "Let's skip auth for now" update the plan.

   Done, next step
5. 05 Build it, step by step 5 min Feature by feature. Auto-committed. Undo any time.

   Mistflow builds one feature at a time, pausing after each. You say continue to move forward, or undo to revert and try differently. Every step is saved to git, so you can always roll back.

   What you will see

   Database schema (habits, entries) Auth (email + Google) Dashboard page → Building habit detail page... # Say "continue" when ready for the next step # Say "undo" to revert

   Check as you go

   I said continue through each build step I saw every step finish with a checkmark

   Stuck? Common fixes

   A step broke.Say "debug" and Mistflow explains what went wrong in plain English, then fixes it.

   I want to preview before shipping.Say "preview" to open a local version at a localhost URL. No deploy yet.

   I want to change something mid-build.Say "pause" or "undo". Every step is a git commit, so nothing is ever lost.

   Done, next step
6. 06 Ship it 1 min One word. One live URL.

   Say deploy. Mistflow provisions a database, sets up auth, uploads your code, and gives you a real URL. No cloud account. No database setup. No env var juggling.

   What you will see

   you: deploy Production build (8.2s) Deployed to edge (1.4s) Database provisioned Auth keys generated Domain routed

   Live at habitstreak.mistflow.app

   Check as you go

   I said "deploy" I got a live URL I can share

   Stuck? Common fixes

   It failed during deploy.Say "debug". Mistflow explains exactly what blocked it and how to fix it.

   I want my own domain.Paid plans support custom domains. Add one in your dashboard once you are signed up.

   I shipped my app

Got feedback on this guide? DM us on X or email [email protected]. We rewrite it based on what trips people up.